Last month I was invited to take part in the amazing 31 Days of Love series that Red Ted Art creator Maggy started a couple of years ago. Red Ted Art is one of our favorite go-to sites for adorable, yet easy kids crafts, so I was beyond thrilled to participate! I knew right away what I wanted to share – an old family favorite and sweet little something we used to make with my grandma on cold winter days.
These homemade mixed media Bouquet Valentines are covered with bright, blooming hearts, and have a storybook quality and style. They make a wonderful kid’s Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day card craft project, but FYI…they’re a cheerful surprise for any old gray winter day!
In addition to making a beautiful handmade card, this project is a wonderful way to recycle some scrap paper and encourage kids to experiment with collage.
Looking for more handmade Valentine ideas? Try making a super fun set of poseable conversation hearts, or heart pennant pins for friends! Collect notes of your own with a DIY tabletop croquet Valentine box or celebrate the day with cardboard sailboats sharing secret messages of love!
To make your own heart bouquet valentines you’ll need:
BASIC SUPPLIES:
- Cardstock
- Construction or tissue paper in bright colors
- Newspaper or magazine scraps
- Scissors
- A glue stick
- A marker or pen
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES:
- Ribbons, washi tape, twine or similar for extra decoration
Mixed Media Heart Bouquet DIY Valentine Instructions:
Cut out the heart for your card
Make the base of your card by folding a piece of card stock or construction paper (we used an old file folder for one of ours!) in half. Starting at the folded edge, cut a half-heart shape out, so when your card is opened it creates a full heart.
Sketch flower stems onto the front of your card
Using a black crayon or piece of drawing charcoal, sketch a few lines on the front of your card – starting near the point at the bottom, and fanning out toward the sides at the top. These will be the stems of our flowers.
Cut a variety of hearts out of tissue or construction paper
Next, cut some heart shapes out of a few different colors of tissue paper. These are going to be the petals and leaves of your flowers, so you can use many different colors and cut varied sizes (as we did) or use one or two colors in similar sizes.
Glue onto the stems on the front of your card
Experiment with making flower shapes out of layering different heart shapes – there are endless combinations! Once you have your flowers arranged the way you’d like, glue the petals down onto the tops of your stems. To create a 3-D effect, try gluing only half of the heart onto the paper. Add some green leaves by cutting hearts in half and gluing them to the stem lines or around the petals.
Glue on two triangles of newspaper or magazine clippings
Just like a fresh-cut bouquet from the market, we’re going to give ours a newspaper wrapping. Cut a couple of triangles out of a piece of newspaper, and glue them, one overlapping the other, to the bottom of your card, Trim any excess from the edges.
Decorate with ribbon, twine, or washi tape
To finish the bouquet, grab a piece of ribbon or twine and glue a strip horizontally across the newspaper “wrapping”. You can criss-cross a couple of strips to look like wrapped twine or add a bow as if your bouquet has been tied up with a ribbon. Trim any excess from the edges.
If you papercraft lovers liked this timeless classic, you will absolutely adore our fresh and simple paper heart kids craft ideas. And once you’re done there, be sure to head over to Red Ted Art to check out ALL of the amazing projects from her 31 Days of Love series. Are you feeling the love yet?? ❤️
Thank you so much for this gorgeous guest post!
Oh it was my pleasure, Maggy! Thank YOU for the invitation! ❤️ The whole series is a fab collection!